SSC
The construction of the Qutub Minar in Delhi was started in about 1199 by:
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Answer: Option A — Qutbuddin Aibak
Detailed Solution
The construction of the Qutub Minar was started in about 1199 by Qutbuddin Aibak, who was then the commander of Muhammad Ghori's Indian territories, and later became the first Sultan of Delhi.
About the start of the construction:
- Aibak began building the minaret next to the Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque, which he had built in Delhi after the Turkish conquest.
- He was able to complete only the first storey (the basement storey) before his death.
- His successors continued the work.
About Qutbuddin Aibak:
- He was a Turkish slave, bought in his childhood by a qazi of Nishapur and later sold to Muhammad Ghori.
- He rose to become Muhammad Ghori's most trusted general and was put in charge of the Indian conquests after 1192.
- He helped Ghori in his campaigns, and conquered many places in north India.
- After Muhammad Ghori's death in 1206, he became the ruler of the Indian territories, with his capital at Lahore.
- He was the founder of the Mamluk (Slave) dynasty and the first Sultan of Delhi.
- He was known for his generosity, and was called "Lakh Bakhsh" ("giver of lakhs").
His buildings:
- The Quwwat-ul-Islam mosque in Delhi (the first mosque in Delhi after the Turkish conquest).
- The beginning of the Qutub Minar.
- A mosque at Ajmer, built on an earlier site.
Literature at his court:
- Hasan Nizami, the author of "Taj-ul-Maasir", was associated with his court.
- Fakhr-i-Mudabbir wrote about the art of war during his time.
About the Qutub Minar:
- It is a five-storeyed minaret of red sandstone and marble in Mehrauli.
- It was completed by later rulers.
- It is part of a UNESCO World Heritage Site.
- Its name is often linked with the Sufi saint Qutbuddin Bakhtiyar Kaki.
Why not the other options?
- ✗Iltutmish continued the construction.
- ✗Alauddin Khalji built the Alai Darwaza and began the Alai Minar.
- ✗Firoz Shah Tughlaq repaired the minaret and added a storey.
Quick tip
Remember: Qutub Minar = begun by Qutbuddin Aibak (about 1199; first storey), continued by Iltutmish, repaired by Firoz Shah; Aibak = "Lakh Bakhsh", founder of the Mamluk dynasty.
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Monuments & Religious Places — Preparation
This question tests your understanding of Monuments & Religious Places, a key topic in the General Knowledge section. The detailed solution above uses a step-by-step approach to show the reasoning, and where available, a shortcut that helps you solve similar questions in under 90 seconds during the actual exam.
This topic covers India's important monuments, temples, mosques, churches, gurudwaras and pilgrimage sites, who built them and when, their architectural styles, and India's UNESCO World Heritage Sites. Questions ask who built a monument, where it is located, or which dynasty or style it belongs to. For example, the Qutub Minar was begun by Qutbuddin Aibak, and the Sun Temple at Konark was built by the Eastern Ganga king Narasimhadeva I. Revise the UNESCO World Heritage Sites as a list, noting the most recent additions. Practise the monuments and religious places questions below, written in the style of the general awareness sections of exams such as SSC, banking, railways, CUET GAT, MAH CET and CLAT. Each question comes with a detailed explanation that adds related facts, so every question helps you revise more than one point.